Page 31 of Save Her Life (Sandra Vos #1)

THIRTY

The moon hung outside the broken windowpane like a giant beachball. Lonnie was looking at it, imagining he could reach out and touch it but knowing it was a fool’s errand to try. But this, what he was doing with this girl, had to work out. It just had to. He was done waiting for his time to come. He was seizing the day.

The girl was asleep next to Dennis, who had also nodded off. As they say, good help is hard to find. His friend had good intentions, as stupid as he was. Probably the only reason he kept him around. That and possibly some modicum of loyalty.

Lonnie pulled out his phone and woke the screen. It was approaching five in the morning, and a fine time to call the girl’s mother. She’d probably been up all night trying to chase down leads to find her daughter. Her nerves would be shattered, and she’d be tired and vulnerable. Hopefully malleable and in a cooperative mood.

He called Sandra’s number, something he’d obtained from the girl. He smiled imagining her reaction to hearing her phone ring and seeing Blocked Number . It rang twice before it was answered. Silence.

So she was playing a game too… “Do you know who this is?”

“Lonnie Jennings.”

Her voice was calm and cold. It was also level, like the welfare of her child wasn’t at stake. She knew his name, something he wasn’t sure she’d figure out this fast. He may have underestimated her, but he wasn’t about to give up. He was already in too deep. If you take a fed’s kid, you commit to seeing it through. “You know who I am already. Kudos.” He hated himself for acknowledging this much and wished he’d just kept quiet or got to the point.

“You’ve taken my daughter. You don’t have a criminal record. If you return her safely now, we can work something out. I’m sure that Dennis doesn’t want to go back to prison either.”

So she knows about him too… Lonnie looked over at Dennis, who had a trail of drool in the corner of his mouth. She certainly didn’t waste time making her request. She’d even disguised it as concern for his welfare. He was pleased he’d recognized this. “Always the negotiator, I see.”

“So you know I’m a negotiator with the FBI?”

She was still cool and collected, and he was finding it unsettling. He had her daughter. She should be terrified and unhinged, willing to do whatever he asked of her. “Listen closely. You fucked everything up at that parole hearing, and this is your penance. But you have a chance to make things right.”

“Tell me how, and I’ll do what I can. But before I do anything, I need to know that she’s still alive.”

He looked over at Olivia, whose head was tipped forward, her chin to her chest. “Very well.” He walked over and grabbed a mittful of her hair.

Olivia screamed so loudly, the gag barely muffled her outcry of pain.

“You hear that? It’s your precious little girl. Is that enough proof for you?” Lonnie asked this as he stared into the teen’s eyes. He’d kill her if he had to. No compunction. He’d lost his conscience with his baby teeth. After taking her, he regretted not breaking the law more often. It was exhilarating.

“I want to talk to her.” The woman’s voice remained level.

Lonnie removed the gag from Olivia’s mouth.

“Mom!” the teen shouted, and he replaced the gag.

“You’ll have to take that as proof.”

A minuscule stretch of silence, then, “Tell me what you want.”

“Happy that we’ve come to an understanding. You do as I want, then I’ll return your girl to you. You don’t, then she will die. Painfully.” He was smiling, unable to help himself. As often as he could twist the blade, he would. Figuratively and literally. He had a gun, but he could switch things up.

“Tell me what you want,” she repeated.

He didn’t miss the fact she made no promises, but her phrasing and tone were misleading as if that was implied. For now, he didn’t care. Saving her daughter should be motivation enough. “You need to get Darrell out of prison.”

“I need to get Darrell out of prison?”

Why is she parroting me? “That’s right. You suddenly develop a hearing problem?”

“There’s no way I can?—”

“You will if you want to see your daughter alive again.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t see how I can do that.”

Lonnie gripped his phone. What was he? The world’s problem solver? “Figure it out.”

“I’m sorry, but without more I don’t see how I can?—”

“He has something I want,” he roared. “You do as I ask, or your daughter is dead.” He ended the call, consumed by rage, and turned his phone off.

“What’s going on, LJ?” Dennis had come to from his sleep coma. He hadn’t stirred when the girl had cried out twice but Lonnie’s raised voice had roused him.

Lonnie lowered himself down and put his face in the girl’s. “Your mother is a stubborn bitch.”

The teen glared at him with contempt and balled up her face. There was no doubt she’d have spat in his face again if it wasn’t for the gag. He reached out and slapped her. Her head lolled to the side and blood poured from her nose.

“Hey, hey, hold on.” Dennis stepped up next to them and wedged himself between him and the girl. “Do we really need to hurt her?”

“Are you kidding me? She needs to learn some respect.”

“We got into this without thinking it through, and now we’re in over our heads. Her mom is the freakin’ FBI, for God’s sake.”

“You’re losing sight of the goal here. She’s a mother first. She’ll do what we want her to if she ever wants to see her kid again.”

“Did she say she would?”

Lonnie replayed the conversation. Lots of talk, no outright promises. “I’ll make her see the light.”

“Uh-huh, and if she does what we want, are you going to give her the girl?”

Lonnie looked at the teen. The blood from her nose was now dripping from her chin, and her eyelids were fluttering. Was the plan ever to return her alive? He wasn’t so sure he saw that future anymore.

“LJ, you’re kind of scaring me, man.”

“I guess we’ll see, but for now this girl is our best bargaining chip. We use her to get what we want.”

“And then what? You still haven’t said. We give her back, right?”

“We get rid of her.” He looked his friend in the eye, serious in his commitment.

“But none of this is her fault. She didn’t ask to get caught up in this.”

“Then her mother should have thought through the consequences of her actions. Patton’s still in prison because of her. She’s why we’re still waiting on our due from decades ago. My patience has run out.”

“No.” Dennis shook his head and stepped back. “I didn’t sign up for this. Not murdering a teenage girl.”

“What are you saying, Dennis?” Anger was rising in Lonnie’s chest and making it hard to take a full breath, but he put his hand into his coat pocket, wrapping his fingers around the grip of his gun.

“I’m just saying it’s not necessary.”

“Huh, but as you just said, her mom’s a fed. We get caught, we’re going away for the rest of our lives. Not that I have any intention of getting caught, but I say we give the woman something that will stay with her forever.”

“Nah. I want out, LJ.” Dennis was shaking his head like the brain-dead idiot he was.

But maybe Dennis was handing him a gift. After all, he’d already played his part by getting the van in place and driving them here. And if he was going to whine at every turn, he’d be more hindrance than help. Suddenly any bit of loyalty he felt toward Dennis was gone. “Fine, you want out, you’re out.” He pulled the gun and shot Dennis between the eyes.

One yelp, and he dropped to the ground.

The girl screamed behind the gag, her eyes wide and full of tears, as Dennis’s blood sprayed her face.

“Don’t worry, princess, your time is coming.”